1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to graphic user interfaces and more particularly to a novel interactive display that facilitates the viewing and retrieval of information stored in a database.
2. Description of the Related Art
A graphic user interface enables a user of a computer to perform tasks that require execution of code on such computer without knowing the details of the underlying code or even having any programming skills. A web browser is one such implementation of a graphic user interface that allows users of diverse skill sets to access and retrieve information stored at various locations on the Internet. It is because of the web browser that the Internet has come into common use for research, education and commerce.
Of particular interest herein are commercial applications wherein the user searches for items desired to be purchased. In connection therewith, the user may further seek to compare any such desired item with similar items varying, for example, in type, style or color, or further search for other items that may complement or be related to any such desired item.
To facilitate the browsing of such items, a web site for an online merchant may store the relative data for all items available in a database and further organize the database in a hierarchical category tree for user browsing. It is known to those skilled in the art that such hierarchical category trees can be used for any type of database and that the present invention as described herein is not limited to merchant applications exemplarily set forth herein.
A merchant database may include an inventory of all items available from such merchant, for example, bicycles and parts together with text descriptions for other relevant data for the inventory such as style, size and price. A hierarchical category tree, as displayed in the web browser, may have a top-level node displayed as a hyperlink with the text “All Items.” Selection of the “All Items” link would next reveal individual categories at the immediately successive lower level of the category tree, such as “Bicycles” as one such category and “Parts” as another category. Further selection of “Bicycles” might then reveal categories of bicycles, such as “Touring,” “Racing” and “Mountain.” Further navigation to successive lower levels of the hierarchical tree will reveal additional category features, such as frame size and color, until a single item is displayed when the lowest level along the path taken through the category tree is reached.
The category tree can be displayed in a variety of ways, for example, as indented text in outline form, in a linear format wherein the text for each level is separated by a delimiter, or by pull down menu, or any combination of the above. The category tree itself may be dynamic and the category at each level restorable. Using the example above, to the frame size category may be repositioned to a higher level above the categories of touring, racing and mountain repositioned below.
Although such category trees are in common use on merchant websites, the user is faced with the task of negotiating one web page at a time through each level of the tree until a desired item is found. Furthermore, since the tree is displayed in the textual format when the user reaches the end of a branch path and the item displayed, such item may not be the exact item the user desired. Accordingly, there exists a need that provides a graphic navigation through a hierarchical category tree such that desired items may be readily found.